Suspension device.



J. W. RIDGWAY.

SUSPENSION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT- 31. I911 1,209,205. Patented Dec. 19,1916.

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1,209,205. Patented Dec. 19,1916.

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SUSPENSIQN DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OCT- 3I, 19H.

1 ,209,205. Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

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J. W RIDGWAY.

SUSPENSION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 31,1911.

1,209,205. Patented Dec. 19,1916.

4 SHEET$SHEET 4.

5i 7 A O 0 Y 2m JOSEPH 'W. BIDGWAY, 0F LONG- ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK.

SUSPENSION DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented e0. 19 1916,

Application filed October 31, 1911. Serial ll'o. 657,786.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, J OSEPH W. RIDGWAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Long Island City, county of Queens, State of New York, have invented certain new and is more particularly applicable to vehicles,

such as motor-cars and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the character referred to which shall be simple and durable and inexpensive in construction.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a vehicle suspension in which the load not directly carried through springs shall be at the minimum, and in which a road wheel shall be free to move under the influence of road inequalities without directly affecting the position of the opposite road wheel or its support, or moving the vehicle body or frame laterally to its direction of motion.

These and other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part be more fully explained in the following description.

The invention consists in the novel parts, combinations, improvements, and features of construction herein shown and described.

In the drawings, which are referred to herein and form a part hereof, are illustrated two embodiments of the invention, the same serving in connection with the description herein to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 is a rear elevation of part of a motor car, showing an embodiment of the invention as applied there-- to; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, parts being broken away; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the spring blocks or devices, shown in Fig. 1, for attaching the springs to the chassis; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a chassis, parts being broken away, showing a modification of the invention as applied thereto; Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the same;'Fig. 6 is a front elevation thereof; Fig.' 7 is a side elevation of the spring block shown in Figs. 4 to 6; and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken on the line (Ir-b of Fig. 4, parts being broken away.

A vehicle suspension constructed in accordance with certain features of the invention comprises in combination, an elastic member fastened to the frame of the vehicle, and .a suspension member pivotally con nected to said frame and engaging with said elastic member, said suspension member being adapted to support an axle.

A vehicle suspension constructed in accordance with another feature of'the invention comprises in combination, an elastic member fastened to the frame ofthe vehicle and arranged transversely thereof, and a pair of suspension members pivotally connected one to each longitudinal side of said frame and engaging the opposite ends of said elastic member, and a stub axle arranged on each of said suspension members.

In one embodiment) of this feature of the invention said elastic member comprises a pair of leaf springs loosely engaged at their opposite ends by said suspension members, respectively, said suspension members comprising side or radius bars pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the outside of the frame of the vehicle. On each side rod is mounted a stub axle at a point between the pivotal connection of the bar with the frame and the point of engagement of the bar with the spring.

Referring now 1n detail to the drawings, thereis illustratedin Figs. 1, 2,-and 3 one embodiment of the invention, the samebeing shown as applied to a vehicle of the motor car type. In the usual motor car 0011- struction the axle or its equivalent extends transversely of the body of the car and has mounted on its opposite ends Wheels which are rigidly held in relation to each other. The axle usually carries the difierential or balance gearing and often the transmission gearing in addition to the springs which are ordinarily rigidly affixed to the axle. The weight of this mass causes the rapid destruction of the road wheels and tires and causes the vehicle to ride hard owing to the" by the motion transmitted by any road wheel to the body of the vehicle and to its opposite wheel is reduced to the minimum,

and to this end said means are of such. na-

ture that the motion communicated by" a road wheel as for instance the wheel 1, to

the body of the vehicle is transmitted by an elastic or cushioning element and is then inare rigidly secured to thechassis 6 of the carat the 'end opposite to the wheel 1 by a suitable fastening device and receive the motion from said wheel 1 through certain connections, said fastening device and said connections being presently described. Any

motion communicated-from the said bodyb to the said opposite wheel 2 is then trans mitted through another similar member comprising springs 7 8 which are rigidly 'to the bottom of the chassis.

fastened to the chassis 6' at the end opposite said wheel 2 by a fastening device similar to the one already referred to, 'and connections between said springs 7, 8 and wheel 2 are'provided' similar to those between the springs 3, d and wheel 1. While, so far as certain other features of the invention are concerned,any suitable means for fastening said springs to the chassis may be employed, preferably and as shown, a spring block is utilized, the same comprising a vertical plate 10 rigidly secured as by bolts,

preferably and as shown, to the rear wall of the chassis, and a horizontal inwardly extending plate 12 rigidly secured as by bolts Extending outwardly from the vertical plate 10 are two horizontal plates 13, 14: depending from which are yokes l5, 16, respectively, which, as shown, being threaded at their upper ends and provided with nuts, securely hold the ends of the springs 3 and 4, respectively. It is to be noted that as many of these horizontal plates'may be provided as are necessary to meet any particular requirements. Another spring block is provided for the springs 7, 8, the same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, differing from the spring block just described only in the particular that the plates 19, 20, extend outwardly a greater distance than the plates 13, i l in order thatv the springs 7, 8 may have sufficient clearance of the springs 3' and d.

Another feature of the invention resides in the connections provided between the elastic element and the road wheels. While these connections maybe made in divers ways, preferably and as shown, they com prise members for suspending the vehicle, the same, as shown, consisting of side or radius bars'22, 23. While these radius bars may be mounted on the body. of the vehicle in various locations and ways, preferably and as shown, they are respectively mounted on the outer opposite sides of the chassis at points near the middle thereof by means of universal joints 24 and extend rearwardly come the ,defects of the ordinary construction, as heretofore noted, the embodiment of the inventionnow being described contemplates mounting the road wheels without the aid of the ordinary axle which ere tends transversely of the vehicle and holds the opposite wheels in rigid relation to each other. While, therefore, the road wheels may be mounted-in various ways, in the embodiment illustrated stub axles 33 are mounted on the radius bars 22, 23, prefer ably, at a point between the universal joints 2% and the members 26, 27; It will be seen that with this construction a wheel is per-- mitted to move vertically with very little tendency to move the vehicle laterally. it

will also be noted that the wei ht of the apparatus not directly borne by t -e springs is greatly reduced and the weight of the mass immediately. afi'ected by road inequalities is also greatly reduced.

Another embodimentof the invention is illustrated in Figs. 4: to 8, inclusive. In this embodiment, see Figs. 5 and 6, two springs 35, 36 are used instead of the four-springs shown in the embodiment heretofore described, each of these two springs extending completely across the body of the vehicle and being fastened at its center portion to a spring block which is secured to the chassis midway of the rear wall. lit will be observed that either the upper or lower spring may be made strong enough to sup port the weight of the vehicle and in such case the other spring can be replaced by suitable means, as a linkage, which will act in place of said other spring in supporting the radius rod in its approximately vertical. plane, but which need not carry any of the weight of the vehicle. It will also beobserved, see Fig. 5, that the springs 35' and 36 have approximately the same curvature and should they be subjected to additional stress, the distance between opposite suspenthe suspension members will be increased more at the points of attachment of said upper sprin than in the plane of the attachments o the lower spring. It will be seen that this will act to tilt the wheels outwardly and so keep the distance between the wheels atpoints of contact with the road approximately uniform under varying conditions of road and load pressure.

It is obvious that the invention may be applied to the-front wheels of a" vehicle, the embodiment of the invention last described being shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 8 as applied to the front or steering wheels of a motor car.

It will be seen that a vehicle suspension constructed in accordance with this invention carries out the objects of. the invention, and, while possessing the advantages herein described'or referred to, has other advantages which will be apparentto those skilled in the art.

. be made in the details thereof-without de- The invention in: its broader aspects is not limited to the particular constructions shown and described as many changes may parting from themain principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

I claim:

1. A vehicle suspension including, in combination, a chassis, wheels therefor mounted on stub-axles, and resilient supporting means independently connecting each stub-axle with a sideof the chassis remote from its own wheel.

2. A vehicle suspension including,in combination', a chassis, radius bars jointed to opposite sides thereof, resilient supporting members transversely secured to said chassis each by one end and attached each to one of said bars ,at the other end, stub-axles carried by the bars, and road wheels mounted 'on said stub-axles.

3. A vehicle suspension including, in com-'- bination, a pair of road wheels, radius bars carrying stub-axles upon which saidwheels are mounted, a chassis intermediately jointed to ,said bars, Y and resilient supporting members secured to the latter and to oppositesides of said chassis respectively.

4. A vehicle suspension including, in com:- binatioma pair of road Wheels mounted'on stub-axles, radius bars carrying the latter, resilient supporting members respectively attached at one endto said bars and projecting toward the opposite stub-axles at the other end, a chassis secured to the projecting ends of said members, and flexible connections between the radius bars and said chassis.

v5. A vehicle suspension including, combin'ation, a pair of road Wheels, stub-axles therefor, radius bars projecting on substantially parallel lines from said stube'nles,

crossed springs attached one to each' of said and a spring connected-at one end to said member and extending transversely of and being'secured at its other end to said frame near-the side opposite said member 7. In a vehicle suspension, the combination of a member pivoted to one side of the vehicle frame and adapted to mount a wheel, and an elastic member connected at one end to said member and extending transversely of andbeing secured at its other end to said frame near the side opposite said member.

8. In a vehicle suspension, the combination of a pair of members each pivoted to one side of the vehicle frame and adapted to mount a wheel, and a pair of springs extending transversely of said frame in opposite directions, each spring being connected at one end to one'of said members, and being secured at its other end to said frame near the side opposite said member.

' 9. In a vehicle suspension, the combina:

tion of an elastic member secured to the vehicle frame transversely thereof, and a connecting element between each of the'opposite ends of said elastic member and saidvframe,

each said element being adapted to mount a ice tion of apair of springs arranged trans verselygofthe frame of the vehicle and fas tened thereto one above the other, the upper of said springs having a curvature greater than the curvature of the lower spring, and connections between said springs and the running gear, whereby the upper portions or the wheels having connections with said springs will tilt outwardly under increased pressure.

11. In a vehicle suspension, the combination of an elastic member fastened; to the frame of the vehicle, a pair of suspension members pivotally connected one to each longitudinal side of said frame, said suspension members being arranged to support an axle, and an extensible member arranged between said suspension members in a difierent horizontal plane. from that of said elastic member. p

12. In a vehicle suspension a member for fastening an elastic member tothe' frame of i the vehicle, said fastening member comprisbe fastened to said frame, and a plurality of outwardly projecting horizontal flanges one approximately overlying another and adapted to have elastic members fastened thereto.

13. In a vehicle suspension means for fastening springs to the frame of the vehicle,

said means comprising a Vertical plate adapted to be fastened to the said frame, an inwardly extending horizontal flange adapted to be fastened to the bottom of the frame, a plurality of outwardly extending horizontal eoaeoe flanges occupying relatively difi'erent planes, and yokes for fastening the springs to said outwardly extending flanges.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 15 name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing WltIlBSSBS= JOSEPH W. RlDGrl/VAY} Witnesses:

FnAncns KINBEICH, B, R. MlURPI-IY. 

